Ai Weiwei’s “Coronation” Depicts Life under the coronavirus Lockdown in wuhan. It is A chilling story ABout Humanity and State Control

Ai Wei wei’s “Coronation” is a tribute to all the doctors and nurses fighting against Covid-19.

Through the lens of the pandemic, Ai Weiwei’s latest documentary, “Coronation” depicts the Chinese crisis management and social control machine—through surveillance, ideological brainwashing, and brute determination to control every aspect of society. The film shows the changes that took place in a city and in individual space under the impact of the virus; it illustrates the value of individual life in the political environment, reflecting on the difficulties we face as individuals and countries in the context of globalization. Ultimately, the result is a society lacking trust, transparency, and respect for humanity. Despite the impressive scale and speed of the Wuhan lockdown, we face a more existential question: can civilization survive without humanity? Can nations rely on one another without transparency or trust?

Ai Weiwei remotely directed and produced the film from Europe. The filming was done by ordinary citizens living in Wuhan.

Source: https://www.aiweiwei.com/coronation

Photo : Wuhan Central Station during the lockdown and nurses in a wars at a hospital in Wuhan © Ai Weiwei